Extortion case: 'Accused posed as BKI men to recover old dues'

Two youths, arrested on Thursday for allegedly posing as members of terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International to make extortion calls to SAS Nagar-based property dealer Gurjeet Singh Oberoi, took the step to recover old dues, police said on Friday.

Two youths, arrested on Thursday for allegedly posing as members of terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International to make extortion calls to SAS Nagar-based property dealer Gurjeet Singh Oberoi, took the step to recover old dues, police said on Friday.

The two accused -Vinod Kumar and Rahul alias Rikki, both cousins and residents of Patti village in Tarn Taran district - claimed that the complainant was the former employer of Vinod and owed him money. Rahul had joined in to help recover his cousin's salary from Gurjeet Singh.

Gurjeet is the brother of Dubai-based hotelier SP Singh Oberoi, who had recently arranged blood money for the release of 16 Punjab youths incarcerated in Dubai.

In his complaint on Wednesday, Gurjeet had alleged that the two had threatened to eliminate his son and daughter if he failed to pay Rs 1 crore. He has since been provided police security.

"Rahul is a Class 12 pass. He worked as a bookkeeper for a shop in Tarn Taran," SAS Nagar senior superintendent of police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said.

During interrogation, Rahul reportedly said that after Gurjeet Singh did pay the money he owed to Vinod, the two cousins decided to threaten him in the name of BKI and demand Rs 1 crore. "Rahul said that Vinod planned to threaten Oberoi to get his dues, only after he stopped taking Vinod's calls," the SSP said.

Bhullar said the preliminary interrogation revealed that the duo arranged for a SIM on a fake identity proof and Vinod made the threat calls to Oberoi. "The duo has revealed that they procured a country-made weapon and fired at Oberoi's car parked outside his house to make Oberoi believe that the calls were actually from BKI. After firing at the car even, they phoned Oberoi that in case he failed to pay Rs 1 crore the next target would be his son."

Second accused sent in police custodyRahul, who was arrested on Thursday night was remanded in police custody on Friday. The police are yet to recover country-made pistol used by the accused to fire on Oberoi's vehicle parked outside his house to scare him.